1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image information transmitting system, a scanner apparatus and a user terminal apparatus, and a method for registering user terminal information to the scanner apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional network scanners, there is one that uses an e-mail transfer protocol such as SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) in performing communication with personal computers (PC). In this case, image information scanned by the network scanner is converted into a file such as a TIFF file and the like and the resultant is attached to an e-mail message.
In order to transmit the e-mail message to PC using SMTP, there are two routes including a route in which the e-mail message is directly transmitted to PC and a route in which the e-mail message is transmitted via a mail server. The image scanner which converts a paper document, which is analog information, into digital image data and stores converted image data in PC is required real time characteristics, so that the former route is preferable.
However, in order to transmit the e-mail message to PC using SMTP directly, it is necessary to use an IP address of PC. Accordingly, a user must examine an IP address of user's own PC. However, knowledge about the network and PC is required to some extent when the user examines it by oneself, and this forces the user to perform complicated operations.
Moreover, there can be considered reduction in time and effort to input addresses by registering an IP address of PC, which is a transmission destination of image information, to the network scanner and calling an IP address of an arbitrary PC based on the content of registration at a transmitting time (scanning time). However, even if this method is used, the user must examine the IP address of PC and input the IP address manually once at least.
Still moreover, in view of the effective use of IP address, there has been recently used a DHCP server that assigns an IP address to a network terminal automatically. Under management of the DHCP server, the IP address to be assigned to PC is different every time startup occurs. Accordingly, the need arises for the user to examine the user's own IP address every time the network scanner is used. Further, the need arises for the user to change the registration content of the network scanner.
In addition to SMTP, a protocol by which image information is directly transmitted to PC from the network scanner can be used, but the same problem as mentioned above occurs in this case.